Curtiss P-40-CU Warhawk - First Warhawk Variant

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Curtiss P-40-CU Warhawk

   Hello everybody. I’d like to introduce and suggest the Curtiss P-40-CU Warhawk for the US aviation tech tree. This is the first part of my suggestions for the P-40 variants in the US Army Air Corps and US Army Air Force services. The P-40-CU was the first production and derived variant from an XP-40 prototype that would become a basis for all subsequent Warhawks.

TL;DR:

An initial P-40 variant (Model 81A-1) with a 1,040-hp Allison V-1710-33 and one .30-cal. machine gun in each wing w/o protections.

History

The development of the first production Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was initiated by Curtiss P-36 Hawk with a radial, air-cooled engine. The US Army Air Corps determined that the P-36 was already outdated and inferior to more modern European designs in early 1937, and the USAAC needed more modern fighters to expand its force.

In 1937, a P-36 was ordered to be modified with an Allison V-1710-11 inline engine and turbo-supercharger as an XP-37 prototype. In 1938, another prototype was ordered and modified with a V-1710-21 and a more reliable supercharger as a YP-37 prototype. Both prototypes had severe supercharger and visibility problems, as their cockpit had to extend back towards the tail to make room for the massive supercharger. The decision was made to cancel the development of production P-37.

Instead, the other decision was made to move to a straightforward, simple conversion of the P-36 without a turbo-supercharger. The 10th-built P-36A was selected and installed with a 1,150-hp V-1710-19 engine and liquid-cooled engine with integral supercharging. This aircraft’s cockpit did not have to move back. Only the fuselage was modified with some changes to give room for the Allison engine; carburetor intake for the single-stage supercharger was installed in the upper nose between the two nose guns; an oil cooler was mounted underneath the nose; and the radiator was moved to the ventral position just aft of the wing. This conversion project gave a new designation for the fighter prototype - XP-40.

On October 14, 1938, the prototype XP-40 flew on its first flight in Buffalo. The flight tests showed the aircraft was capable of flying barely at the speed of 300 mph. Unsatisfied with the tests, the aircraft was taken and evaluated in a NACA wind tunnel to identify solutions. The Curtiss engineers worked on the XP-40 to improve the speed by moving the

radiator forward in steps and making minor tweaks, such as redesigned landing gear. The modified XP-40 flew again for the flight tests. Further tests proved the aircraft was capable of flying at an average speed of 354 mph and could reach a top speed of 366 mph.

In April 1939, the USAAC received reports regarding European air forces with their new, high-speed, inline-engined fighters ready for combat operations. This prompted the USAAC to accept the XP-40 as an entry for the production P-40, and the USAAC placed the largest fighter order, 524 P-40s.

The initial production P-40, or P-40-CU, was nearly identical to the XP-40 but with a 1,040-hp V-1710-33 and one .30 cal machine gun in each wing. The P-40-CU was built with flush riveting to reduce drag and designated as the Model 81 to differentiate itself from the Model 75 of the P-36 Hawk. As an initial configuration, the P-40 was armed with two .50 cal nose guns and two .30 cal wing guns and was not fitted with bulletproof windshields, armor, and self-sealing fuel tanks.

The P-40-CU (serial number 39-156) made its first flight on April 4, 1940. It reached 15,000 feet in 5.2 minutes and a maximum speed of 357 mph at that altitude. The P-40-CU was perceived as a pure pursuit aircraft and was agile at low and medium altitudes but suffered from a lack of potent power at higher altitudes due to the single-stage, single-speed supercharger.

The P-40-CU fighters were first delivered to the USAAC units in June 1940. The first three of the P-40-CUs were used for service testing. The 33rd, 35th, and 36th Pursuit Squadrons of the 8th Pursuit Group, based at Langley Field, Virginia, were among the first units to acquire these P-40-CUs. In addition, the 55th, 77th, and 79th Pursuit squadrons of the 20th Pursuit Group at Selfridge Field, Michigan, received the new P-40-CUs. The P-40-CUs were applied with full prewar camouflage of olive drab on the top and gray on the undersides, and the standard rudder stripes and star insignia were applied to both wings.

A batch of 200 P-40-CUs was delivered to the USAAC units and completed by October 15, 1940. Additional 140 French-ordered P-40-CUs (H-81As) were routed to France but were taken over by the Royal Air Force as Tomahawk Mk. I in September of 1940 as a consequence of the French Armistice.

These P-40-CUs in the USAAC service were not combat-ready and were restricted from combat duty because of a lack of heavier armament and armor. Only the Tomahawk Mk. Is of the RAF had seen their combat action in North Africa.

P-40-CU/Tomahawk Mk.I in British service

As with my P-40-CU suggestion, @lxtav has already suggested this P-40 variant for the Great Britain section. I suggest you read his suggestion for more information on Curtiss Tomahawk Mk. I in the British service. Please give your support to his suggestion! 😃

Specifications

Curtiss P-40-CU Warhawk

General Characteristics

  • Crew: 1 (Pilot)
  • Length: 31 ft 9 in (9.68 m)
  • Height: 10 ft 7 in (3.23 m)
  • Span: 37 ft 3.5 in (11.37 m)
  • Wing Area: 236 sq ft (21.93 sq m)
  • Propeller Type: 3-bladed constant speed propeller
  • Propeller Diameter: 11 ft (3.35 m)
  • Powerplant: Allison V-1710-33 piston engine
    → 1,040 hp (765 kW)
  • Internal Fuel: 180 US gal. (681 L)
  • Empty Weight: 5,376 lb (2,439 kg)
  • Gross Weight: 6,787 lb (3,079 kg)
  • Max. Takeoff Weight: 7,215 lb (3,273 kg)

Engine ratings

  • Takeoff:

    → 1,040 bhp @ 2,800 rpm @ S.L.

  • Military:

    → 1,040 bhp @ 3,000 rpm @ S.L. - 13,600 ft

  • Normal:

    → 930 bhp @ 2,600 rpm @ S.L. - 12,000 ft

Performance

  • Power-to-Weight Ratio: 0.15 hp/lb (0.25 kW/kg)
  • Cruising Speed: 277 mph (446 km/h)
  • Critical Altitude Speed: 357 mph @ 15,000 ft (575 km/h @ 4,572 m)
  • Wing Loading: 28.8 lb/sq ft (140.6 kg/sq m)
  • Rate of Climb: 3,080 fpm (15.6 m/s)
  • Time to Altitude: 5.29 minutes to 15,000 ft (4,572 m)
  • Service Ceiling: 32,750 ft (9,982 m)
  • Combat Range: 635 miles (1,022 km)

Armament

  • Guns:
    • 2 x .50-cal. M2 Browning machine guns (235 rpg; 470 rounds)
    • 2 x .30-cal.4 M1919 Browning machine gun (490 rpg; 980 rounds)
Supplemental Data

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Images

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Conclusion | Why it should be in the game

   I made this suggestion to request more World War II-era vehicles for War Thunder. I feel the P-40-CU would be an excellent bridge for the players to transition from the P-36 Hawk to the subsequent, advanced P-40 Warhawk. This P-40-CU would make a certainly welcoming addition to the P-40 Warhawk family for US aviation in War Thunder.

See Also – P-40 Family

Sources

Thank you for taking the time to read my suggestion! 😃

2 Likes
2

I think this would be a good 2.0 fighter for the US tree to compliment the P-400.

+1 for the US and UK trees (again, its not like im biased or anything)

2 Likes
3

A +1 from me, a tech tree P-40C, would be amazing!

1 Like